I've never been there, but I know the way

You know, if there's one thing about being multifannish that always brings me joy, it's watching the way fanon works. I think fanon gets a bad rap, generally speaking: sure, it's responsible for things like leatherpants!Draco. But sometimes fannish ideas, or versions of characters end up being really much more compelling than the canon versions. And sometimes they're just harmlessly weird.

Either way, whenever you get into a new fandom, there are always these little...conventions that you pick up while reading fic. Like, I don't know, "Character A is a caffeine addict! Cannot live without nine cups every morning, minimum!" And this will be extrapolated from, like, one line in one episode where Character A says he's tired and asks if there's any coffee around. That kind of thing can be annoying if it's too pervasive while not really being justified by canon, but hey - you've got to base characterization on something. And of course when you're in a fandom and reading other people's fic, their ideas are going to influence yours. If you get into a fandom when it's new, you can actually be one of the people who establishes these ideas. Which is, obviously, a profound and solemn responsibility.

It's especially funny, sometimes, to look back at old fic and try to figure out what the popular ideas running around the fandom were in those days. Why does Character B use that particular catchprase in every fic? Why does everyone agree that Character X's hair would be really soft? And why is there so damn much wingfic around?

...All of this is really just a lead-in to saying that I'm currently finding the differences in porn conventions in different canons to be lolarious. Both in terms of what characters get up to in bed, and in how much protection they seem to feel they need to use while doing it. ( Sometimes there's logic behind it? But sometimes...not so much. )

What conventions have you guys noticed in your fandoms? I'm not so much looking for "Everyone writes this and it drives me crazy!" as just, "Not really sure why this is such a thing, but...okay then!"

I was flipping through my copy of Poems of Robert Herrick, looking for some good 17th century making out for zabira's weekly (and awesome) Monday Kisses post. And I happened upon a poem which had somehow (heaven knows how) escaped my notice before.

It's tentacle pr0n. My hand to God, poetry written circa 1648 which would not look at all out of date as the plot in something scanned and uploaded to a hentai website. Check it.

( The Vine )

You know, it's probably just as well that I didn't go into teaching English. Because I'd really have trouble not assigning this as a reading, just to see if my students were awake.

*has no icon appropriate for this post* *deploys vastly inappropriate one*

This hits at least three different in-joke funnies for me.

hangingfire? I will never look at your "plot kakapo" icon the same way again.

DS folks? Was I the only one thinking of the opening of Speranza's Juggling Act?

And hujhax? I'm pretty sure "You are being shagged by a rare parrot" wants to be a situation for Spanish for Everyday Situations.